Apparatus for resistance line welding



July 15 1924.- 1,501,872

H. w. TOBEY APPARATUS FOR RESISTANCE LINE WELDING Filed Aug. 10 1923 Harr g W. Tobeg His Attorne g.

I 2 clamped in place.

I .panyingdrawing and its sco Pumas July 15, 1924.

UNITED srA ras PATENT OFFICE.

ELI-BY w. T03, 01 PITTSI'IELD, IASSACEUSET'IS, ABSIGNOB '1'0 calm m v TRIO comm, A CORPORATION 01' NEW You AIPABA'FUB 1'03 RESISTANCE nun: WILDIIG.

Application fled August 10, um. lerial Io. 080,731.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it knownthat I, HARRY W. Tour, a citizen of the United States, residin at Pittsfield, in the county of Berkshire, tate 5 of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Resistance Line Welding, of w ich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to welding apparatus of the type wherein means are provided for causing relative movement between the parts to be welded and one or both of a pair of electrodes arranged to conduct weldmg current across the joint between these parts, and has for its object the provision of means for supporting the parts to be welded in a manner to facilitate good contact between them at all points of the joint.

In welding together metallic parts, such' as the edges forming the longitudinal seam I of a drum for example, it frequently happens that the welded joint is faulty due to the fact that the edges to be welded do not lie flat when the work is rigidly It is in some cases possible to apply suflicient pressure through the welding electrode to iron out these irregularities but the pressure required to do this isatly in excess of that necessary to weld the bulk of the work properly and is further objectionable in that it causes ra id deformation and deterioration of the we ding surface of the electrode. In acwrdance with my invention this difficulty is avoided by clamping the work in such a way as to permit it to move or rock on its supports. Under these conditions the pressure required to roduce good contact at all points of the joint is substantially reduced, the pressure necessary for success- ,fulwelding at all points in the line of the weld'is obtained and the useful life of the electrode is rolon .My invention wi 1 be better understood on reference to the' following description when considered in connection with the accomwill be pointed out-in the appended claims. Referring now to the drawing; Fi 1 shows the main details of a welding mac ine in which my invention has been embodied, F1g. 2 shows the manner in which the work s supported on a stationary mandrel form mg one of the electrodes; and 3 shows a support adapted to permit the use of rotatable electrodes on opposite surfaces of the work.

Fig. 1 shows a welding machine comprising at each of its ends a supportigg channel member 1 upon which is moun block 2 having in its upper-surface a semi-circular groove for receivl a stationary electrode or mandrel 3 to which weldin current ma be conducted by means of lea s 4 and whic is arranged to support the metallic parts to be welded together. Arranged to cooperate with the stationa electrode 3 is a rotatable electrode 5 con uctively associated with the leads 11 and mounted on a shaft 6 having its bearings in an arm 7 which is guided in its upward and downward movement by guide members 8' and is arranged to rotate about the shaft 9 supported in bearings attached to the sup rtmg member 10. Upon the free end 0 the arm 7 is pivoted a member 12 arranged to cooperate with the threaded member 13 and handwheel 14 for compressing the parts to be welded together between the electrodes 3 and 5. The work illustrated is a drum 15 the overlapping edges of which are to be welded together. A cradle for sup rting the work'm suitable relation with t e electrodes 3 and 5 is attached to the electrode or mandrel 3 by means of bolt 16 and transverse member 17 in such a way as to permit it to rock to and fro in a direction transverse to the axis of the mandrel. .This cradle comprises the transverse plates or 'members 17 upon which are supported at each side of the electrode 3 km 'tudinal members 18 arranged to be pull toward each other b a means of bolts 19 and surship.

ring

F re 2 shows a work support comprisfi shaped members 25 attached to the mandrel 3 by means'of bolts 16 in such a way as to permit them to rock with the work-as previously explained and rovided with bifurcated ends 26 and thum screws 27 for clamping the work in suitable relation with electrodes 3 and 5. A transformer 28*comprisifig a primary winding 29 connected to any suitable source of current and a secondary winding 30 having its terminals connected to the electrodes 3 and 5 is diagrammatically shown. Fig. 3 illustrates one way of supporting the workwhen electrodes rotated in contact with opposite surfaces of the seam are utilized in making the weld, In this case the mandrel 3, which in the modifications shown by Figs. 1 and 2 functioned both as an electrode and a support for the 'work, is replaced by supports 31, the 'rotatableelectrode 32 cuit by which welding current is conducted to the seam. s In each of the arrangements shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 the work 1s arranged to rock about an axis substantially in the line of the weld so that irregularities in the work which result in rocking or tilting the work do not re uire lateral movement of the pointof welding of the work with res ect to the electrodes. The electrodes are t ereby enabled to function in the manner heretofore set forth to accommodate irregularities in the work without lateral strains tending to distort the electrodes or cause them to tend to deviate from the desired line of welding.

While I have illustrated the work as a drum, the overlapping edges of which are to be welded, it is apparent that my invention is also applicable to the welding of overlapping, fiat plates, but where flat sheets of considerlblewi'dth are involved, the desired effeet ii, of course, not so readily produced, or present to so great an extent.

I have not illustrated means whereby relative movement may be produced between the work and the rotatable disk electrode, or. electrodes, since such means are wellknown in the art. It is apparent to those skilled in the art that the work and mandrel shown in Figs. 1 and 2 may be stationary and the electrode mounted on a supporting structure arranged to be moved over the work. It is also apparent that the rotatable disk electrode may be supported from a stationary frame and the work and mandrel mounted to move under the stationary electrode. Similarly, with the arrangement shown in Fig. 3 wherein the welding current is conducted through the work by means of a pair of rotatable electrodes pressed a ainst the work it is a parent that the re ative movement along t e line of the weld may be being utilized to complete the cir-- produced by moving either the electrodes of the work, or both. a

It is obvious to those skilled in the art that many changes and modifications may be made m'the arrangement shown without departing from the spirit of my invention and I, therefore, aim in the appended claims 'welding current is conducted across the joint between the partsto be welded together, characterized b the fact that means for holding the work are arranged to rock u on a support whereby the pressure requir to bring the parts to be welded into good contact during the welding operation is reduced.

2. A welding apparatus of the type wherein means are provided for producin relative movement between the work an a rotatable electrode pressed against the work and forming a part of the circuit through which weldlng current is conducted across the joint between the parts to be welded together, comprising a support, work holding means arranged to rock upon said support, and means for maintaining the seam to be welded in the path of said relative movement during the welding operation.

3. A welding apparatus of the type wherein means are provided for producing relative movement between the work and a rotatable electrode pressed against the work and forming a part of the circuit through which welding current is conducted across the joint between the parts to be welded together,-

comprising workholdini means mounted to rock about an axis in t for the pur ose described.

4. A we ding apparatus of the type wherein means are provided for producing relative movement between the work and an electrode pressed against the work and forming a part of the circuit through which welding current is conducted across the joint between the parts to be welded together, comprising a stationary electrode, work holding means arranged to rock upon said stationary electrode, and means for maintaining the seam to be welded in the path of said relative movement during the welding o eration.

5. A we ding apparatus of the type wherein means are rovided for producing relative movement e line of the weld etween the work and an elec-- trode pressed against the work and forming Ill a part of the circuit through which welding support and said U-sha d member for current is conducted across the joint between maintaining the seam to welded in the 10 the parts to be welded together, comprising path of sand relative movement during the a support, work holding means including a "welding operation.

U-shaped member arranged to rock upon -In witness whereof I have hereunto set said support and having its ends adapted my hand this 4th day of August, 1923.

to clamp together the parts to be welded,

and a mechanical connection between said HARRY W. TOBEY. 

